This Easy Gingerbread Cake Recipe will be your go-to dessert recipe for the holiday season! It’s perfectly spiced with a rich, deep molasses flavour and a moist and tender texture. Enjoy it on its own or with a dairy-free cinnamon whipped cream topping.
This post is sponsored by Crosby’s Molasses. While I received monetary compensation, all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Crumb Top Baking possible.
I’m sharing another recipe for Crosby’s today and this one has me feeling all the holiday vibes. Too soon? Maybe, but I’ve been playing Christmas music for weeks now, so definitely not too soon around here!
Crosby’s Molasses always reminds me of Christmas. I usually have a carton of their molasses in my cupboard year round, but during the fall and holiday baking season, I stock up. This year I actually bought a five kilogram jug!
If you’re not familiar with Crosby’s Molasses, they’re a fifth-generation, family-owned company that has been importing molasses into Canada since 1879. Crosby’s fancy molasses is all natural, gluten-free and non-GMO verified. It’s made with pure sugarcane juice, so it doesn’t contain any additives or preservatives. The company’s fancy molasses is a single-source molasses, grown in Guatemala, and the tangy flavour and red-tinged colour are distinct to Crosby’s molasses.
Home cooks enjoy fancy molasses because it gives traditional recipes, like gingerbread, an old-fashioned flavour. If you’re looking for more home cooking and baking recipes using molasses, be sure to download a free copy of Crosby’s Comforts of Home e-cookbook. The gingerbread cake I’m sharing today is one of the recipes you’ll find in it.
Details on a few ingredients for this gingerbread cake
Molasses: This is the essential ingredient for gingerbread and provides that warm, deep flavour. You’ll need one full cup of fancy molasses for this recipe.
Flour: For a more wholesome cake, I opted for whole wheat flour in this recipe, but you can substitute with all purpose white flour at a 1:1 ratio.
Coconut sugar: This is an unrefined brown sugar, which can usually be found in the organic section of your local grocery store. If you can’t find any, you can substitute brown sugar.
Coconut milk: To make the dairy-free cinnamon whipped cream (which is optional), you’ll need full fat coconut milk that has been refrigerated for at least 24 hours. This solidifies the milk and separates it from the coconut water.
How to make gingerbread cake from scratch
- Step 1: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the sugar and oil.
- Step 2: Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
- Step 3: Mix in the molasses.
- Step 4: Carefully add in the boiling water and beat until combined.
- Step 5: In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda and salt.
- Step 6: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and beat on low speed.
- Step 7: Continue beating the mixture until smooth.
- Step 8: Pour the batter into a greased pan that is lined with parchment paper and bake at 350F for 28-30 minutes.
How to make the cinnamon whipped cream
- Scoop out the solidified coconut milk into a deep mixing bowl (discarding the coconut water).
- Add in the maple syrup and cinnamon, and using an electric mixer, beat together until the cream is light and fluffy.
- Spread the whipped cream onto the cooled cake or serve on the side.
Frequently asked questions
Can you make this gingerbread cake in advance? Yes. To make it a day or two in advance, just leave it unfrosted in the cake pan and cover it tightly with foil. (Some cake pans even come with sealable lids). Leave the cake at room temperature and, when ready to serve, prepare the coconut whipped cream and frost the cake.
How do you store leftover cake? How long will it last? If the cake is unfrosted, just store it in an airtight container at room temperature and enjoy within 3-4 days. If the cake is frosted, store it in the refrigerator. The coconut cream topping is usually best enjoyed within 1-2 days.
Can you freeze this cake? I don’t recommend freezing this cake with the frosting, but you can freeze the unfrosted cake. The full cake is a little awkward to freeze, but if you want to, just let it cool completely and wrap it in plastic wrap. It should last for up to 3 months in the freezer. I usually freeze pieces of the cake by placing them in a single layer in a freezer safe container. Just let the cake defrost at room temperature before frosting and/or eating.
How many people does this cake serve? I usually cut this cake into 16 pieces, but you can cut it into 12 or 24 pieces to get larger or smaller servings.
Additional recipe tips and substitutions
- You can keep this cake unfrosted and serve the coconut cream on the side.
- If you don’t need this gingerbread cake to be dairy-free, you can also top it with buttercream or cream cheese frosting, or even caramel sauce.
- The crushed gingersnap cookies on top are optional. To keep the cake dairy-free, be sure to use dairy-free cookies.
- If you’re using a dark cake pan, the bottom and sides of your cake may brown more quickly than if you’re using a lighter coloured pan. I usually line my pans with parchment paper to help minimize over browning.
- This cake is made in a 9×13 inch rectangular baking pan. If you want a smaller cake, you can half the recipe and bake it in an 8-inch square pan at 350F for 21-23 minutes.
Other molasses gingerbread recipes you might enjoy
If you make this easy gingerbread cake, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below!
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Easy Gingerbread Cake Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 16 pieces
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Canadian
Description
This Easy Gingerbread Cake Recipe will be your go-to dessert recipe for the holiday season! It’s perfectly spiced with a rich, deep molasses flavour and a moist and tender texture. Enjoy it on its own or with a dairy-free cinnamon whipped cream topping.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup Crosby’s Fancy Molasses
- 1 cup boiling water
- 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
For the dairy-free cinnamon whipped cream:
- 3 cans (400 ml) full fat coconut milk, refrigerated for at least 24 hours
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Optional topping: crushed gingersnap cookies
Instructions
Make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9×13 inch cake pan and line it with parchment paper.
- Add the sugar and oil to a large bowl and use an electric mixer to beat them together.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the molasses, and then the boiling water.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and beat until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and tap the bottom of the pan on a hard surface to release some of the air bubbles.
- Bake for 28-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely in the pan.
Prepare the cinnamon whipped cream:
- Scoop out the solidified coconut milk into a deep mixing bowl (discard the coconut water). Add the maple syrup and cinnamon.
- Using an electric mixer, beat together until the mixture is light and fluffy. You may need to stop a few times to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Spread the whipped cream onto the cooled cake and sprinkle on some crushed gingersnap cookies.
- Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 1-2 days.
Notes
- If you want to make this cake a day or two in advance, just leave it unfrosted in the cake pan and cover it tightly with foil. When ready to serve, prepare the coconut cream and frost the cake. You can also leave the cake unfrosted and serve the cream on the side.
- The crushed gingersnap cookies on top are optional. To keep the cake dairy-free, be sure to use dairy-free cookies.
- If you’re using a dark cake pan, the bottom and sides of your cake may brown more quickly than if you’re using a lighter coloured pan. I usually line my pans with parchment paper to help minimize over browning.
- This cake is made in a 9×13 inch rectangular baking pan. If you want a smaller cake, you can half the recipe and bake it in an 8-inch square pan at 350F for 21-23 minutes. Just check for doneness with a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake.
- Be sure to check out the detailed sections above the recipe card for additional advice and suggestions for making this recipe.
This recipe is adapted from Crosby’s One Bowl Gingerbread Cake for a Crowd recipe.
Delicious recipe! I think the molasses helps the whole wheat not taste too “healthy” if that makes sense. Nice and moist with really tasty spices. Thanks!
Thanks Sabrina! Totally makes sense!
This is fantastic! We just discovered my daughter is lactose intolerant so I’ve been on the hunt for dairy-free recipes – will give this one a try!
Thanks Terri! I hope you get a chance to make this one for your daughter.